Wladimir Klitschko: No Haye? No HBO!

By Ace Freeman (07-Jun-2009)

It’s understandable that Wladimir Klitschko will face Ruslan Chagaev on June 20 in Germany in place of the injured David Haye. Over sixty thousand Fight Fans are scheduled to arrive that weekend expecting to see a heavyweight championship clash and Klitschko vs. Chagaev is a very viable heavyweight fight.

Unfortunately, for a growing number of boxing fans it’s just not an interesting one. With respect to the world class abilities of Wladimir Klitschko, I have grown tired of watching him climb in the ring with the timid, marginally in shape heavyweights that are standing in for top ranked fighters in this day and age. The television ratings for heavyweight boxing show that I’m not the only one who feels this way.

Wlad Klitschko can only fight who’s out there and Ruslan Chagaev is a very good last minute replacement. Chagaev is prepared and ready to go after a scheduled fight from a week ago fell apart. He is a top rated fellow heavyweight title holder and he’s worthy of this shot.

Yet something is missing…

Intrigue. It’s seldom found in the heavyweight division these days.

Enter David Haye. Regardless of whether you like Haye or not, he brings a much needed spark.

HBO, boxing’s premiere television outlet, is not interested in televising Wladimir Klitschko defending his title on June 20 without Haye as challenger.

This speaks volumes.

It is the second straight title defense by Klitschko that HBO has passed on. In December of 2008 former world champion Hasim Rahman was not enough of an draw to entice the major network. And minus David Haye, June 20 will mark the second such occurance.

Some people in the boxing world are quick to insinuate that David Haye’s back injury suffered in training last week has him ‘falling out of line’ to fight the formidable Klitschko.

What they fail to realize is that without Haye at the front of the line things continue as they have been. Non compelling, low interest fights that are only seen by a fraction of the world’s sporting audience. It has become so stale for a boxing fan that it almost feels commonplace. That is tragic and a slight to the historic legacy the heavyweight division has in pro sports.

Currently boxing is thriving in its lower weight classes, and if the heavyweight division could get that much needed shot in the arm it might recapture its firm place in the big picture of the international sporting landscape.

As the undisputed world cruiserweight champion, David Haye has more than earned the right to jump to the front of the line. We’ve seen the best fighters of years past jump from below heavyweight straight in to challenging the big man for the heavyweight crown.

When you add to that sentiment the fact that Haye is brash, out spoken and creating much needed interest in the heavyweight division, it is incumbent on everyone involved to see that this fight comes to fruition. ‘No news is good news’ does not apply to the heavyweight division and with lower weight classes driving the engine, it is vital that interest and intrigue return.

There is no twisted argument to be made that Wladimir Klitschko should resume fighting average, lacking, top heavyweights when the biggest fight in years north of 200 pounds looms for the taking.

Let Wladimir fight Chagaev on June 20, but please, for the sake of Fight Fans everywhere reschedule Haye vs. Klitschko for as soon as possible.

Klitschko should give the fans what they want and what they want is to see him against Haye!!!

Ivan “LatinoPorVida” Montiel

Ace,

I must say very well writen article by you and yes I also demand that boxing reschedules Wladimir Klitschko versus David Haye ASAP, do it for us FIGHT FANS!

Boxing needs a fight this big in order to bring back excitment to the heavyweight division.

Pound4Pound

I like David Haye he is very entertaining and i think its funny that he thinks he is bigger than Envander Holyfield but i dont think he can beat Klitschko

Dolla Billz

^ Haye is bigger than Holyfield. He’s a few inches taller, and when Holyfield first moved up to heavyweight he was about 205 – 210.

Haey was 215 in his first heavyweight fight and walks around a bit higher than that.

Also, even if Haye loses a fight with Klitschko doesn’t change the fact it’s the most interesting heavyweight fight out there.

adam from Auz

the heavyweight division is in that bad of state that mike tyson could come bak and do more pay per views then any other heavy weight. but haye vs kilitsco is definateley the best fite out there.

Bill Johnson

What a great article! Its explained my feelings exactly about the Heavyweight division. This fight needs to happen soon… please also wake me up when it does.

Pound4Pound

At Dolla Billz

im not talkin about in size im talkin about in popularty he is not as big of a star as Holyfield was when he jumped up to heveyweight David Haye is just now getting his name out there i have never even seen him fight i just heard him talk

Dolla Billz

Well I was talking about physical size, which is what Haye was talking about in that video. He says I’m bigger than Holyifield, as in size. This is just after they’re talking about how he’s 220 at the time the video was shot.

At the end of the day the guy unified three major cruiserweight titles. I wouldn’t say he’s just getting his name out there. That happened back when he burtalized Mormeck.

There is a prescident in boxing of a champion from one weight class moving straight up into a title fight in a higher weight. This is no different.

BAWSE

i dont think Haye was talkin about size i think that he thinks he is a superstar but he is not he just got a big mouth and is most likely going to get knocked out

Fem

This guys needs to pull his pants up for starters.

Anonymous

klitschko only got knocked out 4rm big heavy wieghts like samuel peter an corey sanders david hayes comein 4rm cruiser wieght he gots to put on alot more weight if he thinks he can beat vitali or wladimir

^ Haye is 6’3, and if he comes in the 220’s as planned he will weigh similar to or outweigh several of Klitschko’s recent opponents: Corrie Sanders (225 lbs) Sultan Ibragimov (219 lbs), Lamon Brewster (228 lbs), Calvin Brock (224 lbs) and Chris Byrd (213 lbs).

Haye is not as small as you might think moving up to heavyweight. He walks around close to 230 pounds and is 6’3 with a very low body fat percentage (unlike the fighters listed above).